Legacy Project Queer Joy | Discover Queer Joy Today

Legacy Project: Queer Joy

Queer and trans stories often go unheard within the Korean American community. By creating space and sharing these narratives, we can build bridges, learn from one another, and celebrate the diversity within our ever-evolving community. Last year, our team had the honor of interviewing nine incredible LGBTQIA+ Korean Americans across generations. In the coming weeks, we are excited to share a special edition of the Legacy Project: “Legacy Project: Queer Joy,” where we explore what queer joy means to them and their journey to finding it. A big thank you to our interviewees for being so open and allowing us to share your stories with our community and beyond.

Funding for this project was made possible by Korean American Community Foundation with support from the Reva and David Logan Foundation.

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Featured

Sammy Kim

Sammy Kim (they/them) is a multifaceted individual: a queer artist, writer, healer, sex worker, community organizer, caregiver, and friend. From a young age, Sammy took on a caregiving role when their mother was diagnosed with Parkinson’s, moving in with relatives as her condition progressed.

Andy Marra

Andrea Hong Marra (she/her), often known as Andy, is a trans activist and executive director of the Transgender Legal Defense and Education Fund (TLDEF). From an early age, she knew who she was as a Korean American and person of color.

Mudang Sung Park

Mudang Sung Park (he/him) was born in Seoul, Korea, and immigrated to the Ridgewood/Bushwick area with his family when he was young. Growing up, they were the only Korean family—or East Asian family, for that matter—for blocks around, and although Sung tried his best to reproduce the joys of his Korean childhood from within New York, his new environment slowly changed aspects of his personality.

Vanilla Honey

Vanilla Honey (she/they) is a queer architect and community organizer based in New York. Growing up on Long Island, Honey was never taught Korean by their mother, but they connected with their family and other Koreans through humor and playfulness.

Alexander Chee

Alexander Chee (he/him) is a bestselling author, essayist, and Professor of English and Creative Writing at Dartmouth College. Born in South Kingstown, Rhode Island, to a white American mother and Korean father, Chee's journey is a tale woven with humor and wit.

Sulkiro Song

Sulkiro Song (she/they) is a queer, asexual, and aromantic pastor based in Virginia. Born in Seoul, Korea, to a family of ministers, their path seemed clear: carry on the family line and become a pastor.

Emmett Yoon

Emmett Yoon (he/him) is a trans rights activist based in Houston, serving as the Executive Director of the Transgender Education Network of Texas (TENT). Born in South Korea and adopted by a white family in the Midwest, Emmett often felt out of place and confused as a transracial adoptee.

Ellie Kim

Ellie Kim (she/her), known as SuperKnova (@superknova), is a genderfluid trans singer and musician based in NYC. Her relationship with music began early when her parents—like many Korean parents—enrolled her in piano lessons as a child.

Queer Joy in Conversation

Related Videos

Dr. Su Pak & Sung Park

Dr. Su Yon Pak and Mudang Sung Park reflect on their shared journey as queer Korean American elders—connecting over spirituality, care, and the quiet courage of living authentically across generations.

Emmett, Andrea, & Ahri

Emmett, Andrea, and Ahri reflect on how joy grounds their family and their work. From Emmett’s advocacy in Texas to their shared commitment to authenticity and love, their story reveals the strength that comes from living truthfully.

HA:N United Methodist Church

At HA:N UMC, a queer-affirming Korean American church, Rev. Sulkiro Song, Lia, and Paul reflect on faith, identity, and belonging—and how healing and joy emerge when queerness and faith can coexist.

The Bailar Family

As the first openly trans NCAA Division I men’s athlete, Schuyler Bailar reflects with his parents on their family’s journey through change, love, and pride. Their conversation shows how true support can transform challenges into joy.

The Son Family

Showrunner and writer Diana Son sits with her three sons to share how their family embraced change and found acceptance together. Their story reveals the power of love across generations and the beauty of queer family.

Sammy & Jiwon

Sammy and Jiwon share how their bond grew from nights out in the Korean American nightlife scene into a friendship rooted in love, safety, and belonging—showing the beauty of queer connection and chosen family.